Public baths – only for men?

« How good, here’s the steam, here’s health, » he said.

Kaunas residents Valerijus and Kazimieras left the sauna, where they changed well. This is how friends spend their free time together for over 20 years.

« Mom was still going to the women’s department when I was 5 years old, » said bathman Valery Smorigin.

The man said he couldn’t imagine without a sauna.

« The sauna is health, a couple opens, everything opens.

This dwelling bath, which has been operating for nine months, replaced the legendary Kaunas bathhouse « Mermaid », which has been operating for decades. Both men who spend half of their lives in the « mermaid » now spend time here.

« If you want to feel pleasure, we go to the steam – you will feel everything there and see, » said the bathman Kazimieras Kalvinskas.

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Such sauna enthusiasts seem to be lacking, although there are not many baths in the city. City baths work 6 days a week. On average, about 50 people visit the average day.

« There are 250 to 300 per week, over 300 in winter, quite a few, and most on weekends, » said Tautvydas, the head of the Town Bath.

More frequent visitors to baths are men than women.

« There are men’s and women’s days separately – men visit most. We had more women’s days – sluggishly chose, we had to cut, » the head of the Town Sauna said.

Many baths are only given one day a week, which is 5 times less than men.

« When we opened, we did more of those days. Business is business – women are not choosing, we had to adjust, » said the head of the Township Bath.

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Equal Opportunities Controllers recommend that women spend more days.

« The choice only restricts women’s rights on the weekend and not to give the weekend to receive services under equal terms, » ​​said Laima Vengale-Dits, a lawyer at the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman.

Although the best option would be to have the same number of days, saunas should find an alternative.

« Perhaps part of the day’s weekend to spend on women, finding solutions friendly to both women and men. Maybe there would be more women, » explained the Lawyer of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman.

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The « Town Bath » operating in Kaunas will soon have such an alternative.

« We are now planning a common bath to make men go with women. Although men usually come with children – the community gets, » Tautvydas said.

People are visiting not only to feed, but also to spa treatments. Formerly a place to wash – today becomes a modern lounge.

« There is a vanta, use a lot, bring their own, spin on their own. The bathers run the programs, we have their own – with smells, flags, » the head of the Township Bath said.

After receiving a complaint about the public sauna house in Kaunas, the controllers of equal opportunities found gender discrimination and warned the institution. The Office says similar complaints occur from Vilnius and smaller cities.